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Resources for all educators

Browse curated resources on inclusive practices, equity and disproportionality, systems change, literacy, SEL, federal and state policies and regulations and more. High-quality resources and data must inform the work of school districts, educators, policymakers and members of the media. These resources, curated by the Urban Collaborative, are intended to support the work of its members and anyone committed to creating equitable and inclusive education practices.


Urban Collaborative Created Resources


Resources

High-quality resources and data must inform the work of school districts, educators, policymakers and members of the media. These resources, curated by the Urban Collaborative, are intended to support the work of its members and anyone committed to creating equitable and inclusive education practices. Note: The resources below link to external sites.

Publication Date:
Author: OSEP

The report focuses on children with disabilities being served under IDEA, Part B and Part C, nationally and at the State level.



Publisher: Department of Education
Format: Article/Report
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Hehir, T., Grindal, T., Freeman, B., Lamoreau, R., Borquaye, Y., Burke, S.

In this report we sought to identify research that demonstrates the benefits of inclusive education not only for students with disabilities, but especially for students without disabilities, since evidence of benefits for the former is already widely known.



Publisher: Instituto Alana and Abt
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: CAST

CAST is a multifaceted organization with a singular ambition: Bust the barriers to learning that millions of people experience every day.



Publisher: CAST
Format: Digital media
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Giangreco, M.F., Hoza, B.

An article highlighting paraprofessionals in classrooms and the inadvertent effects of paraprofessional help and the alternatives to overreliance on paraprofessionals.



Publisher:
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Laura, C.T.

In a poignant and harrowing journey from systems of education to systems of criminal justice, the author follows her brother, Chris, who has been designated a “bad kid” by his school, a “person of interest” by the police, and a “gangster” by society… No other book combines rigorous research, personal narrative, and compelling storytelling to examine the educational experiences of young Black males.



Publisher: Teachers College Press
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Nielson, N.

This guidebook presents a carefully chosen set of educational equity indicators as a starting point for addressing longstanding disparities in key educational opportunities and outcomes.



Publisher: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Format: Book
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Chopra, R.V., Giangreco, M.F.

This article reviews effective uses of teacher assistants in inclusive classrooms.



Publisher: Sage Publications
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Losen, D.

The research presented in this volume demonstrates that disciplinary policies and practices that schools control directly exacerbate today’s profound inequities in educational opportunity and outcomes.



Publisher: Teachers College Press
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Fullan, M., Quinn, J.

If initiative overload and fragmentation are keeping your best plans from becoming reality, it’s time to start leading differently. The key to bringing about the kind of successful and sustainable change you need is the Coherence Framework, a dynamic, customizable road map.



Publisher: Corwin
Format: Book
Topic: Leadership/Systems change
Publication Date:
Author: Newnham, N., LeBrecht, J.

Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.



Publisher: Higher Ground Productions
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: United States Distance Learning Association

For almost three decades USDLA has been a key focal point for all aspects of distance learning.



Publisher: United States Distance Learning Association
Format: Digital media
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Wurzburg, G.

An Academy Award winning short documentary that follows Peter, a student with Down’s syndrome, in his inclusive third grade classroom.



Publisher:
Format: Digital media
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Hehir, T., Katzman, L.

This book presents lessons learned from in-depth case studies of some of our most effective inclusive public schools. The authors conclusively demonstrate that schools can educate students with mild and severe disabilities in general education classrooms by providing special education services that link to and bolster general education instruction.



Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Format: Book
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity

All individuals who wish to eliminate inequities can benefit from the ICS Equity Four Cornerstone Framework and Process, including educators in K-12 schools, districts, regions, state education agencies, educator preparation programs, universities, and community agencies.



Publisher: Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity
Format: Digital media
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

Unprecedented times produced the perception that we face insurmountable obstacles in education. Cincinnati Public Schools are overcoming obstacles, guided by our team’s call to action of providing equitable access to high quality curriculum, instruction and technologies to every student! From the onset of school closures through the uncertainties of our current educational climate, our departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Student Services and district educators use quality improvement systems to provide guides for educators, students, and families, teaching and learning support for UDL practices, and implementation of standardsaligned core curriculum that provides support and scaffolds for our diverse learners district-wide. Our cross departmental team will provide an overview of our systems and resources in an engaging presentation that models the practices alive in our classrooms and uses the interactive technologies our educators are learning and implementing to reach every student, regardless of circumstances. Participants will leave with resources and networking opportunities. https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ze44yLuzKS99ZcN9z4KZ9eELDQEGqiX/view?usp=sharing



Publisher: Cincinnati Public Schools, OH
Format:
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Giangreco, M.F.

This article briefly responds to the following question: Why aren’t more students with severe disabilities being placed in general education classrooms?



Publisher: Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Bryk, A.

Improvement in Action, Anthony S. Bryk’s sequel to Learning to Improve, illustrates how educators have effectively applied the six core principles of continuous improvement in practice. The book highlights relevant examples of rigorous, high-quality improvement work in districts, schools, and professional development networks across the country.



Publisher: Harvard Education Press
Format: Book
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Habib, D.

An award-winning documentary film that chronicles one family’s efforts to include Samuel, their son who has cerebral palsy in every facet of their lives. The film honestly portrays his family’s hopes and struggles, as well as the experiences of four other individuals with disabilities and their families.



Publisher: Institute on Disability/UCED
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Habib, D.

From award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib comes INTELLIGENT LIVES, a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America.



Publisher: Institute on Disability/UCED
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Cavendish, W., Samson, J.F.

This book presents a framework for addressing intersectionality within educational spaces to combat the cumulative effects of systemic marginalization due to race, gender, disability, class, sexual orientation, and other identity-based labels.



Publisher: Teachers College Press
Format: Book
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Jorgensen, C.

For students with disabilities, including those with complex support needs, inclusion means more than just physical presence in a classroom—it means full participation and valued membership in their school community.



Publisher: Brookes
Format: Book
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Glenna Gallo, Assistant Superintendent, Special Education, Washington St

We are honored to present Glenna Gallo, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education for the state of Washington as our keynote speaker. Gallo’s work before and during the pandemic has served as a model across the country. She is focused on student outcomes, on collaborative decision-making, and authentic professional development. For example, educators at all levels across the entire state of Washington are currently receiving coaching and mentoring to become more inclusive. The state’s COVID-19 guidance is comprehensive with processes and procedures, but also with case studies for providing special education services across school reopening models with a focus on the least restrictive environment. Gallo’s interactive session, Adaptive leadership: Recognizing Educational Opportunity During a Pandemic is sure to inspire.



Publisher: Urban Collaborative
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Martinez , P., Losen, D.

The analysis presented here helps to convey how high and disparate levels of exclusionary discipline in terms of days of lost instruction time contribute to large inequities in educational opportunity.



Publisher: Learning Policy Institute; Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the Civil Rights
Format: Article/Report
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Harry, B., Ocasio-Stoutenburg, L.

This book presents an in-depth discussion of how human disability and parental advocacy have been constructed in American society, including recommendations for a more authentically inclusive vision of parental advocacy.



Publisher: Teachers College Press
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Capper, C.A., Frattura, E.M.

This book provides a clear road map for everyone who is interested in changing schools to be responsive to ALL students. School personnel, school boards, and individual educators will be challenged to think courageously about how schools should operate for every student who comes through the classroom door.



Publisher: Corwin
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Shapiro, J.

This book serves as the first true cultural history of the disability rights movement.



Publisher: Penguin Random House
Format: Book
Topic: Inclusive practices
Publication Date:
Author: Shaywitz, S., Shaywitz, J.

Now a world-renowned expert gives us a substantially updated and augmented edition of her classic work: drawing on an additional fifteen years of cutting-edge research, offering new information on all aspects of dyslexia and reading problems, and providing the tools that parents, teachers, and all dyslexic individuals need.



Publisher: Vintage Books
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Habib, D.

These postsecondary transition films show effective transition practices captured on film, and each film also has a discussion guide to aid in classroom discourse.



Publisher: Institute on Disability/UCED
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: National Research Council

Against the background of normal progress, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children examines factors that put children at risk of poor reading. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.



Publisher: National Research Council
Format: Book
Topic: Literacy/Dyslexia
Publication Date:
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

This book examines evidence based on research relevant to the development of DLLs/ELs from birth to age 21 can inform education and health policies and related practices that can result in better educational outcomes.



Publisher: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Bolman, L., Deal, T.

Reframing Organizations provides time-tested guidance for more effective organizational leadership.



Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Duncan, A.

The purpose of this Resource Document is to present and describe 15 principles for State, district, and school staff; parents; and other stakeholders to consider when States, localities, and districts develop policies and procedures, which should be in writing on the use of restraint and seclusion.



Publisher: Department of Education
Format: Article/Report
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Hehir, T., Grindal, T., Eidelman, H.

At the request of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Dr. Thomas Hehir and his associates prepared several reports on the status of special education in the Commonwealth using available data and resources.



Publisher: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Format: Article/Report
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Katzman, L.

Special Education for a New Century pays particularly close attention to how inclusive education practices can best be promoted in the era of standards-based accountability.



Publisher: Harvard Educational Review
Format: Book
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Henderson School

SWIFT Domains and Features at Henderson School: One of six nationally recognized SWIFT Knowledge Development Sites, the Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, MA, is featured in this film and highlights some of the SWIFT domains and accompanying features.



Publisher: The Swift Center
Format: Digital media
Topic:
Publication Date:
Author: Henderson, B.

The Blind Advantage provides insight into the challenges, possibilities, and practicalities of including students with disabilities—and into the mind and heart of an inspired and determined leader.



Publisher: Harvard Education Press
Format: Book
Topic: Disability specific/Low incidence
Publication Date:
Author: CASEL

CASEL is committed to advancing equity and excellence in education through social and emotional learning.



Publisher: CASEL
Format: Digital media
Topic: Social emotional learning/Discipline (MTSS)
Publication Date:
Author: Nathan, L.

This book highlights the Boston Arts Academy, a school with an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse student body, where 94 percent of its graduates are accepted to college.



Publisher: Beacon Press
Format: Book
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Kaur, J.

Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on disproportionality covered what the problem of disproportionality is and how it presents itself throughout the education system.



Publisher: NYU Steihhardt
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Gonzalez, T., Artiles, A.

Equity assistance centers (EACs) have played key roles in fulfilling the legacy of the Civil Rights Act by providing technical assistance (TA) to districts and schools in addressing discriminatory behaviors on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and religion for over 50 years.



Publisher: Multiple Voices: Disability, Race, and Language Intersections in Special Education, 20(1), 2020, 5–15
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Equity/Disproportionality
Publication Date:
Author: Jorgensen, C.

Dr. Jorgensen offers practical, real-world steps that any school team can take to make their school more inclusive, both for students with ASD and learners with a wide range of other needs.



Publisher: Brookes
Format: Article/Report
Topic: Inclusive practices